A better understanding of microbiome development, composition and function—in people and beyond—will continue to inform strategies that harness the power of microbes to foster human and planetary health.

The Human Microbiome
Advocating For Microbiome Research
Advocacy Priorities
ASM advocates for the following:
- Support for better coordination of and more funding for multidisciplinary microbiome research across the federal government.
- Workforce development and training in the synthesis of microbiome data and information for practical application.
- Facilitation of data standardization and sharing, including through continued funding of the National Microbiome Data Collaborative.
- Continued support for a One Health approach to human health at all levels that reflects the intersections between people, animals, plants and the built environment.
Statements
ASM Encourages Swift Action on USICA/America COMPETES
ASM Urges Funding for the National Microbiome Data Collaborative
ASM Requests Increased Funding for NSF, Increased Coordination of Microbiome Research
Microbiomes are Everywhere
Hear from Experts
Videos
Podcasts
Rachel Dutton discusses her work studying cheese microbiomes, one of the few microbial ecosystem types where almost all of the microorganisms are culturable.
Graciela Lorca studies genetic systems to find positive and negative microbial interactions that lead to disease and describes how specific bacterial strains may help prevent development of diabetes.
Educational Materials
Which Microbe Are You?
This K-12 activity, explores the human microbiome using a 'microbial personality' quiz that matches students with a particular microbe.
Microbiome One-Pager
This factsheet designed for policymakers includes recommendations for investments in microbiome research.
FAQ: Human Microbiome
This Academy FAQ report details the activities of the microbial species comprising the human microbiome, and recommends research to understand the connections between microbiome composition, host genetics and health.